Changed
by keykeeper11
Summary: Lily Evans realizes that James Potter has changed and finds that she can't deny the Marauder any longer. She loves him. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own it. Now go and read it.

**Author's Note:** This is totally unimportant.. but my dog just go cleaned! And he smells very good if I do say so myself. (: I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend's sister, Claire. Her 15th birthday was on 02/06/05 so Happy Birthday to you Claire! (she shares my love for harry potter, and can be constantly found reading it on though I have persuaded her to read too).

**Changed: **_One-shot_

_This fan fiction story is dedicated to Claire Ivy Reinstein, best wishes!_

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Lily Evans quaked a little as she sat stiffly in a cold wooden chair. She bit her lip, and tucked a small strand of crimson hair behind her ear. She twisted her shaky hands together, and cracked her knuckles.

"What do you need help checking out?" Madame Pince, the old library gave her a hawk-eyed glare and Lily cringed.

"I-er-I'm just waiting for someone..." she said as her voice trailed off. No, she wasn't really waiting for someone, but rather, _thinking_ of someone. Someone with hazel eyes, round glasses, a cocky grin, and smooth, black hair that Lily longed to run her pale hands through.

She shook her head, attempting to get him out of her thoughts, but failed pathetically. No, she didn't love him. How could she? He was the most arrogant, pig-headed, bullying toe-rag she'd ever met. Well, he _had _been. But lately he was all she thought about. And lately he had been extremely different. He had _changed_.

"Well hurry up then, the library closes soon," Madame Pince stuck her nose high in the air and sniffed as she walked back behind her desk.

Placing her hands on the arms of the stiff chair, Lily pushed herself out of it, and prowled along the many rows and rows of dusty books. Her fingers danced along the spines, and at last Lily chose _Hogwarts, A History_ from its home on the shelf. It had been the very first book she had read out of that library.

She took a seat at a round table, and peeled open the book, thumbing through it self-consciously.

"Lily,"

Slamming the book shut, she yelped in surprise, owning a glare from the librarian.

"Pot-_James?_ I never thought you'd step foot in the library," Lily smiled a little, and he returned it.

"_Actually_, I was looking for you," James Potter said, running a hand through his unruly black hair. "You missed the Head meeting with Dumbledore."

A shock of horror leaked its way across Lily's face, and her big green eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my God! I've never..."

James threw his head back and laughed. "It's alright, really. In fact, he asked me to come and find you,"

"Oh _really_," Lily smirked and directed her face towards the window that let in warm summer air. "Did he offer you any of those lemon drops that he adores?"

"Yeah," James cringed. "I brought you some," Pulling his hand out of his cloak pocket, James dropped two in Lily's outstretched hand.

"Yum," she giggled, and popped them in her mouth with a groan.

He smiled. "But seriously, Lily, let's go,"

The red head stood up, leaving the lone book to sit on the table, collecting more dust.

Although the encounter with James in the library had made Lily a little less queasy, her nerves still hadn't been quenched.

The two Head students traipsed their way up to Dumbledore's Office, not speaking a word. But Lily definitely didn't need words, since about a million were running around inside her head.

_What if he laughs and walks away? _

_What if he tells all his stupid friends, and they never leave me alone?_

_What if he thinks I'm lying, and rejects me? _

_What if my heart gets torn into two?_

_Or will he smile, and say nothing? _

_Will I be teased for the rest of my life, just for telling the truth? _

"James wait," Her hands converged together, and Lily found it hard not to fight back the knots that were forming in her stomach, acting as some sort of disease that wouldn't go away. Would she ever be cured? "There's, um, something I...I need to tell you,"

"Well, can it way, Lily? We're nearly there,"

"No, it can't," she hissed, leaning against the nearest stone wall for support. She didn't even trust her own legs to hold her up, since right now they felt like Jell-O.

He had changed so much that year. Whether it was being kinder to Lily, not beating on Severus Snape, or helping out first years; Lily had to finally come into realization that James Potter was now much more mature, and rather attractive. Okay, _very_ attractive. And it drove her insane. She thought about him all the time, and when she wasn't thinking about him – wait, there wasn't ever any part of the day that she _wasn't_. All in all, James Potter had changed dramatically that year, and Lily couldn't deny him any longer.

"Alright, well, what is it?" James clenched his jaw.

"I...love you," The last two words came out in a little mumble, and he strained his ear just to hear them.

"W-what did you say?" James tightened his grip on the banister of the staircase they had been making their way down. His knuckles turned white, and a soft pink blush crept up his cheeks.

"Listen James, you've changed..." Lily swallowed hard and stared at her feet, palms sweating. "And, well, I've started to get some..um, _feelings_ towards you. Very strong, er, _feelings_. One of them," She took in a deep, strangled breath. "Is love,"

A grin broke across James' face, and Lily sighed in relief.

"Well gosh, Evans, I love you too!" He chuckled, hugging her. "You don't know how good it is to hear you say that,"

"You don't know how good it was to get it off my chest," She laughed.

The two of them continued to smile, as they walked hand in hand to Dumbledore's office. Lily, like James, wasn't the only one that had changed that year.

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**A/N:** Again, not the best, but I just thought this was a cute little story. So tell me what you think, por favor, in a review!

Hasta luego!

**SpicyMuchacha** indigo-skies

_ps._ STEELERS WON THE SUPER BOWL, OH YEAH!


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